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Protecting Wild Waters

Do you swim in your local river or lake, and want to take steps to improve it’s water quality? Take action and apply for bathing water designation with our support.

Officially designated ‘bathing waters’ are the only waterways regularly monitored for water quality and it’s effect on human health. And where pollution is found, legal obligations are put on polluting industries to clean up their act.

The good news? Anyone, including you, can apply to get a swim spot designated.

Protecting Wild Waters supports communities fighting for bathing water designation. We’ll give you the tools you need to apply – whether that’s template letters to landowners, or support growing a community group.

Click here to find out more about Protecting Wild Waters

Or, tell us about your waterway below, and we’ll get in touch with the toolkit and advice for applying.

Tell us about your waterway

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"Bathing Water Designation creates blue spaces where water quality is officially monitored for harmful bacteria and viruses, with legal obligations placed on industry to stop sewage and agricultural pollution. This provides a powerful indicator of the state of our water and drives real change."
Kirsty Davies, Community Water Quality Manager, Surfers Against Sewage

Visit the Protecting Wild Waters website

Learn more

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Report water pollution

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Submit a sickness report

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